People recognize big names in the film industry for their countless directing contributions, like Alfred Hitchcock, Peter Jackson, and Quentin Tarantino. However, not all fans can name the movies that these camera-stars act in. Sometimes, directors appear in their own films. There are plenty of actors who also direct. For example, Sylvester Stallone wrote, starred, and directed several Rocky films.
While Brad Pitt is recognized for his various acting roles in films like Moneyball and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, he won his first Oscar for producing 12 Years A Slave. Even authors of the original work (from which the film was adapted) appear in films. The most notable is Stephen King, who makes multiple cameos across his film adaptations. Alfred Hitchcock rivals this number for how many of his films he’s played a small role in.
10 Do Star Wars Fans Remember George Lucas’ Brief Acting Cameo?
George Lucas is best recognized for being the mastermind behind the widely popular Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. Unfortunately, Lucas sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company in 2012, and the Star Wars films went downhill.
Lucas is well-known for directing and writing Star Wars. Die-hard fans might remember his acting cameo in Revenge Of The Sith. When Anakin meets Palpatine at the opera house, Lucas briefly appears as Baron Papanoida. Lucas’ character would have a larger role in The Clone Wars.
9 Alfred Hitchcock Is Notorious For Making Cameos In His Films
Alfred Hitchcock is the inspiration behind many films today, with his accolade as the “Master of Suspense.” He’s directed over 50 feature films in his career and has earned 46 Academy Award nominations. Unfortunately, he’s never won the Academy Award for Best Director.
Hitchcock is notorious for making cameos in his films. One of which occurs in the 1959 film North By Northwest, starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. Hitchcock plays a man who is late for the bus. When he attempts to board, the bus door slams in his face. It is a comical moment during North By Northwest.
8 Clint Eastwood Is A Master At Acting In His Films
Some directors play a larger role in their films than merely a brief cameo. Clint Eastwood is a jack of all trades in the film industry, for his success in acting, directing, producing, and composing. Eastwood is best recognized for his many appearances in Western films since the mid-1960s, especially his breakthrough role as “Man with No Name” in Sergio Leone’s Dollar Trilogy.
Eastwood stars in numerous films that he also directed. His most notable is the 1992 film Unforgiven, for which Eastwood won Best Director and Best Picture.
7 Quentin Tarantino Guest-Starred On Golden Girls And His Own Films
Quentin Tarantino is best known for his crime film Pulp Fiction, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Many Quentin Tarantino fans may be unaware of his humble beginnings. He guest-starred as an Elvis impersonator on The Golden Girls. Tarantino’s success begins with his 1992 film Reservoir Dogs, considered one of the greatest independent films of all time.
Tarantino stars in Reservoir Dogs as Mr. Brown, and also appears as Jules’ friend Jimmie in Pulp Fiction. His most recent success is the 2019 film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, a historically-accurate film with fictional characters following The Manson Family murders.
6 James Cameron Makes Two Strange Appearances In Titanic
Not all film cameos made by directors are as huge as Clint Eastwood’s, some cameos don’t even include the director’s face. Titanic is one of the few three-hour films that kept audiences engaged consistently. It’s the epic love story of Jack and Rose aboard the Titanic during its fateful voyage.
Titanic made people fall in love with Leonardo Dicaprio. James Cameron, who directs Titanic, makes twelve small cameos in his film, usually as a passenger or bystander. Most notably, it is Cameron’s hands, not Dicaprio’s, that are shown during the drawing scene. Also, Cameron shouts “All ahead full” after the engine master.
5 Martin Scorsese Briefly Appears In Taxi Driver
Martin Scorsese is one of the masterminds behind the gangster film genre. He begins his film career with the 1967 release of Who’s That Knocking On My Door?. Scorsese is best credited for the 1990 film Goodfellas and for frequently hiring Robert De Niro. Scorsese makes cameo appearances in several of his films. One of his most recognized roles is a cab passenger in the 1976 thriller Taxi Driver. Taxi Driver stars Robert De Niro in New York City after the Vietnam War and features quite a frightful plotline.
4 Taika Waititi Plays Four Characters In Thor: Ragnarok
Taika Waititi has become many film buffs’ favorite director in the past decade. His most notable directing credits include the 2017 film Thor: Ragnarok, which many MCU fans were impressed by, and the 2019 dark humor film Jojo Rabbit. In addition to directing, Waititi also stars in Jojo Rabbit as Jojo’s imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler.
Waititi also appears as four characters in Thor: Ragnarok, his most notable role being a Kronan gladiator named Korg. Korg is notorious for bringing some comical relief to Ragnorak.
3 M. Night Shyamalan Makes Cameos In Several Of His Films
While M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender is on many people’s ‘worst movie’ list, people can’t forget the success of his previous films like The Sixth Sense and Signs. Shyamalan had his directorial debut with the 1992 film Praying With Anger.
He produced, wrote, and starred in Praying With Anger. In Praying With Anger, he played the main protagonist, Dev Raman. Praying With Anger, however, only aired in film festivals. Shyamalan also appears in The Sixth Sense as Dr. Hill, the pediatrician who treats Cole Sear. Shyamalan did so to pay homage to his father’s occupation.
2 Spike Lee Plays The Lead Role In Do The Right Thing
Spike Lee is renowned for his contributions and conversations about issues of racial inequality, particularly in the Black community. He is a critically acclaimed director, actor, producer, and even professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Lee made his directorial debut in the 1986 film She’s Gotta Have It, which became an eponymous Netflix series in 2017. He also directs and plays the lead role in the 1989 film Do The Right Thing, which would win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
1 Peter Jackson Shows Up In Every Tolkien Adaptation Of His
Peter Jackson is back in the press for his success with the Disney+ docuseries titled The Beatles: Get Back. Before collaborating with The Beatles, Jackson is renowned for his directing contributions to the Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit film series. These are both adaptations of J.R.R Tolkien’s original novels.
He makes cameos across several of his films, including the extended version of The Return Of The King, as someone killed by Legolas’ warning shot. He also briefly appears in The Desolation Of Smaug as a drunken man eating a carrot, much like his cameo in Fellowship Of The Ring.
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